Free to Love - A Zelda x Link Fanfiction

XIV: Mysterious Destinations

Zelda's Perspective:

It was somewhat saddening to know I could be so easily fooled into an early morning. Simply the speak of breakfast roused me from the uncomfortable nap I was preparing to take on Storm's back. Link glanced at me while I rifled through the remainder of the sack, deciding to pick a raw apple for Storm.

"Foolish glutton," he mouthed at me, an exhausted smile playing on his lips. I pouted dramatically in response as I offered the fruit to Storm, before sticking out my tongue playfully. He pursed his lips as if reconsidering his statement, before turning away slyly.

We rode like this for some time, just quiet. I realized I had never had the opportunity to really appreciate the surroundings. The day we left, I was too joyous about my escape that I didn't bother looking around. Yesterday, the Yiga attack startled me and I spent the rest of the day being comforted by Link. It was silly, one of the main goals of my trip had been cast aside until the third day.

The sun slipped through the leaves, creating patterns of golden-green hues on the dusty path. The animals of the forest seemed to be comfortable with us as we rode, paying us little to no mind as they went about their own business. I smiled, watching a couple of bird settle into the crook of a tree branch together. Enchanted, I pulled my Sheikah Slate from my satchel.

Before I left, I had discovered the ability to write on the surface of the slate, without the use of paper and ink. Fascinating. I figured I would write down my thoughts on the travel so far as I turned it on before I was interrupted with a quiet beep. I glanced down, surprised to say the least, to find what appeared to be a map. The icons were somewhat unclear but I was able to discern the stick figure as where I was located. There were several other stamps on the map, with jumbled text appearing next to it when clicked upon. However, the most fascinating was a bright blue dot that pulsed on the screen.

I was about the call out, slowing Storm's speed, when the device released a second beep. Link slowed down, turning his head back in confusion. "What on Earth...?" he began to ask, the device interrupting with a quicker and louder beep. The nature around us scrambled away in confusion.

I pulled Storm to a halt, Link riding up next to me. "What is it?" he asked, staring at the screen over my shoulder.

"I... I suppose it's a map," I responded quietly, tilting my head. I pointed at the stick figure. "I think this is where we are located now and this" — I tapped my finger on the blue dot — "is the location that the Slate wants us to travel to." Link's eyebrows furrowed.

"Interesting," he muttered. He glanced at the indicated direction wearily, as though he was trying to find what the Slate wanted us to seek. I was about to ask whether or not we could find the destination, but he shook his head before I could say a word.

"We should be heading towards the Zora, now," he said. "We shouldn't stop unless we absolutely need to."

I considered riding in the direction before he could stop me, but I decided against it. We travelled forward and I stared at the screen as the blue dot slipped off the map and the beeping grew quieter and slower until there was nothing but silence.